Chapter 107

Chapter 107

Ximeno was stunned into silence. He hadn't even recovered from the shock of being deceived, and now the other party was assigning him tasks?

Lu Cian wasn't in a hurry. Now that they were on his territory, he had ample time to wear down these male insects.

He felt no guilt either. After all, he had repeatedly rejected Ximeno and given these male insects every chance to reconsider. Yet, knowing the risks, they still leaped into the trap—so he couldn't be blamed.

"Once you've made up your mind, just inform the guard at the door and relay the message to me." The guard at the door turned out to be the obedient and well-behaved Riley.

Riley hadn't even reached adulthood, so the male insects would feel more at ease talking to him.

With that, Lu Cian departed.

Once the door closed, the male insects who had been sobbing uncontrollably just moments ago immediately gathered around Ximeno.

"Ximeno, do you have any good ideas?"

"Ximeno, should we really agree to their demands?"

"Ximeno, do you think they can be trusted?"

"Ximeno, what if we pretend to surrender first and then find a chance to escape?"

"Ximeno, I—I'm so scared. I don't want to stay here. I want to go home… Waaah..."

"You don't want to stay here? Who does? But if we don't agree to their demands, will these wanted… these insects kill us?"

The speaker's voice trembled, and the others, reminded of something, grew fearful as well. The one who had suggested "pretending to surrender and then escaping" also fell silent.

Whatever decision Ximeno and the others ultimately made wouldn't affect Lu Cian—he had a mountain of work to deal with, an overwhelming amount.

Right now, there was one matter that required his immediate attention.

They had been away from the new star system for several months. The crops planted on the planet had long been harvested, and the newly sown grains were growing well.

The rice improvement experiments were also underway, but progress had been extremely slow in Lu Cian's absence. The resulting purple rice still tasted terrible.

However, when tested by machines, the rice showed subtle differences in elemental composition compared to the previous generation. Some aspects seemed to be developing favorably, while others had worsened significantly.

If the better-performing strains were cultivated over several generations, continuing this trend, they might eventually produce sweet, flavorful rice through progressive mutations.

But Landon, the one in charge, was at a loss because he didn't know what factors influenced these mutations.

Thus, the newly planted rice still followed the same cultivation methods as before.

After reviewing the planting and observation reports Landon handed him, Lu Cian fell silent.

How to explain it?

Following standard farming practices was something he had experience with and could succeed at. But improving and breeding new strains? That was beyond his expertise.

Grandpa Yuan had spent most of his life researching hybrid rice. Lu Cian only had superficial knowledge—he had never studied how to hybridize rice or cultivate superior varieties.

He vaguely recalled something about the "three-line breeding system," but knowing about it didn't mean he understood the principles behind it, nor could he identify what these "three lines" looked like. He wasn't even sure if Earth's methods would work for the insect species.

And then there was the issue of pollination—Lu Cian wasn't a professional in this field.

All he could do was write down what he knew along with some of his own conjectures and let the insects experiment step by step.

Fortunately, Timothy had brought his clan members. They were numerous and skilled, capable of producing more advanced robot insects.

With machinery assisting them, Landon and his farming team would likely find their work much easier.

"Alright, that's all for now. I can't guarantee anything, so the rest will depend on your trial and error," Lu Cian said, somewhat regretful. If only he had studied more back then.

How regretful it was to realize the value of knowledge only when it was needed!

Landon gratefully accepted the notes. These materials were exactly what they needed.

Though Mr. Lu was humble, saying he only knew the basics, even if that were true, his suggestions were far better than their previous random guessing.

These recommendations were treasures!

Landon excitedly declared, "Rest assured, Mr. Lu! We'll study your notes thoroughly and definitely won't let you down!"

Outwardly calm, Lu Cian was panicking inwardly: *Alright, alright, I hear your praise, but no need to exaggerate! If nothing comes of this, I'll be thoroughly embarrassed!*

With the rice issue addressed for now, they moved on to producing goods made from ramie.

Then there was the large stockpile of jade they had spent nearly all their Star Coins on.

Back at the transit station, they had already produced a batch of "Love Pearls," which were highly successful. However, products marketed under the "Love Pearl" gimmick were single-purchase items. Once buyers received their orders and realized the pearls' true material, they'd likely try to replicate the business.

Entrepreneurial insects would identify the opportunity in Love Pearls and, by extension, jade.

They had already gained half the advantage by purchasing large quantities of jade. The other half depended on whether the Love Pearl's reputation was strong enough.

Moreover, they had to capture the market before other merchants could, saturating it with jade jewelry under their brand.

Time was tight. After drafting a basic plan, Lu Cian delegated the task to Timothy.

Specialized work required specialized insects.

Timothy: "…"

Timothy was close to tears. "…Sir, must we hurry so much? I'm just one insect."

Lu Cian consoled him, "Capable hands should take on more work."

Timothy almost glared at him. *Sir, do you feel no guilt saying that?*

*You're so capable—why don't you do more yourself?*

But Timothy was too timid. He only dared to grumble inwardly.

Lu Cian smiled in amusement. He could guess exactly what Timothy was thinking from his pained expression. But since he wasn't a professional, the capable would have to work harder.

"Alright, alright, I won't make you work for nothing. Tell me what you'd like to eat, and I'll assign you a premium recipe robot insect so you can cook for yourself."

Timothy's eyes instantly lit up.

Of course, he accepted without hesitation, his words full of flattery: "Sir, you're truly as beautiful inside as out, adored by all insects!"

Lu Cian: "…"

He didn't want such praise. Nor did he need to be "adored by all insects."

"Cut the flattery. Just do your job well, and the rewards won't disappoint you. Also, don't tell any other insects about the robot insect!"

Timothy's smile widened at the last sentence—that was the real point, wasn't it? Otherwise, why would Sir emphasize it so deliberately and lower his voice?

Timothy was sure he'd figured it out.

Lu Cian gave himself a mental score of ninety. When painting a rosy picture, of course, the insect receiving it should feel like they're getting the biggest one.

Then, Lu Cian went to check on the construction progress of the levitating tower.

After being away for so long, the skyscraper had long been completed, but the interior remained unfurnished. Lu Cian had left in a hurry and hadn't made any arrangements.

As he looked at the building, an idea popped into his head.

But ideas require execution, preparation, and the agreement of one specific insect.

No rush.

After inspecting the levitating tower, Lu Cian went to see the newly built housing districts.

Each neighborhood had a different style, and Lu Cian guessed they were constructed according to the habits of various tribes. The builders had really gone all out.

After walking around for a while, he got tired. Hearing that Nair Inan was in the newly built laboratory, Lu Cian headed there.

The lab was built on a vacant lot, leading Lu Cian to suspect it would either be expanded later or turned into a full-blown lab complex.

Inside the lab, the new facility was spacious. All the experimental equipment they had brought fit comfortably, with tons of extra space.

Currently, only Joseph, Milo, and a few researchers from the Lam Tribe were present—they were still short-staffed.

As soon as Lu Cian entered, he saw a group of insects clustered together, whispering.

"What are you all talking about?" Lu Cian asked curiously, stepping closer.

The group immediately fell silent, turning to stare at him with an intensity that made him uneasy.

"Why… are you all looking at me like that?"

Nair Inan stepped forward, his tone gentle. "Apologies. I told them about your… health issue."

In truth, Milo had been the one to spill the beans. Since the secret was already out, Nair Inan had explained the whole situation.

Lu Cian let out a relieved sigh. He had thought it was something serious.

"It's fine. They would've found out eventually." It was just the matter of him being a mutant male insect—nothing to fear, as long as his alien origins remained hidden.

Joseph, however, stared at Lu Cian like a starving predator. "Your Excellency, may I take a small blood draw?"

Lu Cian was startled.

The others assumed Joseph's hungry stare had frightened him, but in reality, it was the request for blood that freaked him out.

Who was Joseph? A top-tier researcher. If his blood was tested, wouldn't he be exposed?

Lu Cian shook his head frantically. "No, no."

His refusal came too quickly, leaving Joseph's prepared arguments unspoken.

Joseph doubled down, "Your Excellency, when you invited me here, you promised to support my work. I'm only asking for a little blood..."

Joseph wasn't one to give up easily, but Lu Cian was a male insect—no one dared force him.

Yet, the situation was already getting pushy.

Not wanting Lu Cian to feel pressured, Nair Inan intervened. "He's afraid of pain. Let's drop it."

Lu Cian shot Nair Inan a grateful look, and the latter felt a warm fuzzy feeling, reaching out to mess up Lu Cian's fluffy hair.

Joseph remained expressionless.

Joseph rolled his eyes.

Joseph thought to himself—what a nauseatingly lovey-dovey pair of insects.

Blood draws for male insects were painless. What bullshit was this "afraid of pain" excuse?

But Joseph wasn't stupid. He could tell Lu Cian simply didn't want to give blood, with pain being a secondary concern. There was something he was hiding, and Nair Inan, whipped by affection, refused to push him, indulging him unconditionally.

Well, if they were both content with this arrangement, Joseph—an outsider—could talk till he was blue in the face without changing their minds. Might as well shut up.

Joseph had already expected worse. This wasn't so bad.

He had time. Sooner or later, he would get that male insect's blood!